Bus body



April 12,1927. 1,623,988-

' C.. H. WHITFIELD BUS BODY Filed June 24, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 7 67101160 Wiliffcld.

April 12 1927.

. c. H. WHITFIELD BUS BODY Filed June 24, 1922 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

CHARLES H. WHITFIELD, 0F PENN YAN, NEW YORK.

BUS BODY.

Application filed June 24, 1922. Serial No. 570,645.

The present, invention relates to vehicles and more particularly to the type in which there is provided alower frame, such as a chassis, having longitudinally extending beams on which the body of the vehicle is mounted, an object of this invention being to provide a novel manner of connecting the floor boards of the body with the side beams, so that there is obtained a low and stronger construction of body, a saving in the amount of materials used, a more resilient support for the body, easier access to the body, and a neater design, A further object of the invention is to connect the floor boards of the body to the beams, so that the lengths of said floor boards extend transversely of the beams and are directly secured to the beams, thus eliminating the use of transverse beams upon the longitudinal beams and permitting the floor boards to be extended beyond the sides of the longitudinal beams so that the extended portion will give a resilient support to those portions of the body above the flooring. Another object of the invention is to make it possible to lower the level of the flooring 01- the vehicle body to the side beams thus permitting passengers to step from the step or the runing or side board of the vehicle directly to the floor of the body without the use of any intermediate step.

To these and other ends, the invention consists of certain parts and combinations of parts, all of which will be hereinafter described: the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a vehicle constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section through the vehicle, on the line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged. detail horizontal sec .tion adjacent the door opening of the vehicle;

Fig, 4 is a section on the line F -LL, Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the manner in which the door section is guided at the upper part.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 indicates the two longitudinally extending frame beams, in this instance, torming part of the chassis of a motor vehicle. This chassis has on one or both sides a step or foot board through which entrance to the vehicle is secured. The floor boards 3 of the flooring of the vehicle body are secured transversely of these longitudinal beams 1 by bolts 4 directly to the longitudinal beams, the ends of these floor boards projecting beyondthe outer sides of the longitudinal beams, so that the vertical walls 5 of the vehicle extend upwardly from the flooring 5 beyond the longitudinal beams. In this instance, one of the vertical sides of the body is provided with a door opening 6 closed by a door embodying two sections 7 and 8, the latter being hinged at 9 to the section 7 and the section 7 being hinged at 10 to the forward part of the door opening. A roller 11 is carried by the free edge of the section 8 and travels on a guide 12 at the top of the door opening, so that when the door is open, the sections told one upon the other in the manner illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

In order that passengers may step directly from the step or running board 2 to the flooring 3, the flooring adjacent said opening does not extend to the plane of the door when the latter is closed, so that a cutaway portion is provided in the flooring adjacent the door and over the step or running board 2. It is preferable to provide some means for closing this opening when the door is closed, so as to keep out air and to this end a closure member or plate 13 is provided which is moved to expose the opening with the opening of the door. This closure 13 is, in this instance, in the form of a plate rigidly secured to the door section 7 and adapted to swing inwardly over the floor of the vehicle in the manner shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3

This invention is especially designed for so-called motor busses which are now largely employed for inter-urban passenger traflic. By this invention it is possible to lower the body of the vehicle with reference to the chassis so that there is less tendency for the vehicle to turn over through top heaviness, the usual transverse beams with the longitudinally extending flooring being eliminated. These transverse beams throw the vehicle high in the air giving the same a tendency to top heaviness and, at the same time, necessitate the use of an additional step between the running board or foot piece and the flooring. Furthermore, the longitudinally extending flooring now-employed becomes slippery in wet weather necessitating the use of anti-slip devices. In this invention the flooring is lowered to the longitudinally extending beams and extends transversely thereof, thus bringing the body of the vehicle lower on the chassis and doing away with the extra transverse beams and top heaviness and giving greater wear to the flooring, making the use of anti-slip devices unnecessary. The projection of the floor boards beyond the outer sides of the longitudinally extending beams tends to give a resilient support to the top of the vehicle and thus increases the life of the body.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vehicle, the combination with a lower frame having longitudinally extending beams and a step at one side of one of said beams, of a body having floor boards secured to said beams transversely thereof and project-ing beyond the outer sides of said beams to provide resilient portions, said body having vertical walls rising from the resil ient portions, one of said walls being provided with a door opening and the floor boards adjacent said door opening having their outer ends spaced from the vertical wall above the step so that passengers may step from the step directly to the floor of the vehicle, a door for closing the door opening in a vertical wall of the body, "and a closure for the opening in the floor adjacent said door opening, said closure being controlled by the door.

2. In a vehicle, the combination with a lower frame having longitudinally extending beams and a step at one side of one of said beams, of a body having floor boards secured to said beams transversely thereof and projecting beyond the outer sides of said beams, said bcdy having a door opening in one of its vertical sides and theifloor boards adjacent said door opening having their outer ends spaced from the vertical wall above the step so that passengers may step from the step directly to the floor of the vehicle, a door for closing the door opening in the vertical wall of the body, said door having its lower edge above the plane of the floor boar; s, so that the door may swing inwardly over the floor boards, and a closure for the opening in the floor. adjacent the door opening secured to the door to swing with the latter in a plane above the floor.

CHARLES H. WHITFIELD. 

